US submarine sails from the Rock

The US Virginia-class attack submarine USS John Warner sailed away from the Rock yesterday following an unusually lengthy stay of 11 days.

During that time the submarine, which is designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions, underwent works on its conning tower while berthed alongside the South Mole.

The Ministry of Defence, as is common with submarine visits, provided no details of the visit.

The presence of the nuclear-powered submarine in Gibraltar prompted complaints from environmentalists in the Campo de Gibraltar and saw the PSOE table a number of questions on the subject in the Spanish Parliament.